Last Friday was Veterans Day, but in the town where I am living now (moved here last month) there was no special celebration planned. My dad (now many years since he passed on) was a 30 year career man in the military, and most of my other family members served too, so I am accustomed to doing something on that day to honor veterans, and recognize their sacrifices for the freedoms we enjoy daily.
I often work in a very small town about 25 miles away from where I live, and that town was having a parade and community dinner to honor its veterans. So I went there, bringing doughnuts to the parade float assembly area, so everyone could have doughnuts with their coffee as they prepared; it was pretty chilly early in the morning. That was my plan for the day.
A group of vets in uniform were preparing to be the Color Guard for the parade, but they did not have enough men in their group to carry all the flags. I volunteered to carry one of the flags, even though I am a woman, and not a veteran. The group commander handed me the flag for my father's branch of service, as they did not have a vet in their group who served in that branch. He said "Here you go, carry this one for your father."
The parade route was about a mile, fortunately a flat paved road, and it was early in the day and cool, so I marched with the Color Guard the whole way, carrying my dad's flag. I usually cannot walk that far, but on Veterans Day, I did it just fine. With a little help from above, I think.
Those vets, their families, the parade and the floats, the townspeople, the community dinner, the ceremony - it was all so wonderful. That little town sure knows how to honor its vets, and I was so glad I drove out there for Veterans Day, and so honored that they invited me to participate.
I often work in a very small town about 25 miles away from where I live, and that town was having a parade and community dinner to honor its veterans. So I went there, bringing doughnuts to the parade float assembly area, so everyone could have doughnuts with their coffee as they prepared; it was pretty chilly early in the morning. That was my plan for the day.
A group of vets in uniform were preparing to be the Color Guard for the parade, but they did not have enough men in their group to carry all the flags. I volunteered to carry one of the flags, even though I am a woman, and not a veteran. The group commander handed me the flag for my father's branch of service, as they did not have a vet in their group who served in that branch. He said "Here you go, carry this one for your father."
The parade route was about a mile, fortunately a flat paved road, and it was early in the day and cool, so I marched with the Color Guard the whole way, carrying my dad's flag. I usually cannot walk that far, but on Veterans Day, I did it just fine. With a little help from above, I think.
Those vets, their families, the parade and the floats, the townspeople, the community dinner, the ceremony - it was all so wonderful. That little town sure knows how to honor its vets, and I was so glad I drove out there for Veterans Day, and so honored that they invited me to participate.
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